Endoscopes have attained great acceptance within the medical community since they provide means for performing procedures with minimal patient trauma while enabling the physician to view the internal anatomy of the patient. Over the years, numerous endoscopes have been developed and categorized according to specific applications, such as cystoscopy, colonoscopy, laparoscopy, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and others. Endoscopes may be inserted into the body's natural orifices or through an incision in the skin.
An endoscope is usually an elongated tubular shaft, rigid or flexible, having a video camera or a fiber optic lens assembly at its distal end. The shaft is connected to a handle, which includes pathways extending the length of the handle to the endoscope tip, referred to as working or service channels. Various surgical tools may be inserted through a working channel in the endoscope for performing different surgical procedures. The working channel may be accessed via a service channel connector placed within the handle of the endoscope. Usually, service channel connectors comprise a service channel being used for insertion of medical instruments and a suction channel for removing bodily fluids. The two channels within the service channel connector end in a unified working channel that is coupled to an elongated tubular shaft of the endoscope.
Medical tools are generally inserted within a service channel of an endoscope for removing polyps, taking a biopsy of a tissue sample, etc. Typically, a biopsy forceps device is employed for taking a biopsy of a tissue sample of a patient.
Existing products typically use a linkage system that tends to hinder a wider opening of the forceps device. For example, one conventional device (a cam actuated biopsy forceps) includes a single pivot point that moves during the opening and closing of the forceps. The closing movement causes the jaws of the forceps to retract toward the handle (away from the tissue) which can cause issues during sampling.
Hence, there is a requirement for a biopsy forceps device that allows for a larger biopsy sample size within an equivalent device diameter.